Brazil Legend Ronaldinho Plotting Move Into The Murky World Of Politics

Jack Beresford

3 months ago

Fun-loving football legend and all-round soccer layabout Ronaldinho is reportedly weighing up a move into the world of politics.

O Globo is reporting that the Selecao and tormentor-in-chief of England’s very own David Seaman is set to run for a seat in the Brazilian Senate next year.

The report suggests the 37-year-old will run as a representative of the Patriota Party (formerly known as the National Ecologic Party/PEN) in the election contesting the seat representing the state of Minas Gerais.

These plans could ultimately hinge on whether Patriota Party presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins the leadership of the party in the upcoming vote, set for March 2018.

Win and the path could be clear for Ronaldinho to content the Minas Gerais seat, with elections set to take place in October 2018. Ronaldinho will be confident of winning too, having seen the success enjoyed by fellow World Cup winner Romario.

The Selecao striker and 1994 World Cup Golden Ball winner was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies on the Brazilian Socialist Party ticket back in 2010. He followed that win up with a second election victory in 2014, when he was elected to the Brazilian senate representing the state of Rio de Janeiro with a record number of votes.

David Seaman Don't look now Image Getty

Questions surely remain as to whether Ronaldinho has the stomach for a political fight though. Not literally, of course. The Brazilian cut a famously forlorn figure in times of difficultly at Barcelona and, as his career has progressed, he’s become better known for his partying antics than anything on the pitch.

There is one up side to all of that for Brazilians though – he’s likely to be in favour of any policy that reduces the length of the working week and has anything to do with alcohol, parties or general fun. He’s got our vote. We can’t vote in Brazil, but he’s got it anyway.